When leaders/teams empower employees to take ownership, they are then held accountable, and they have a higher level of trust and commitment to the company. They take initiative and work harder at making the right decisions in the best interest of the business. It’s about owning the responsibility and not blaming others for the results. Ownership is about taking the initiative and accountability is about following through and getting it done. It’s also about recognizing that other team members are dependent on the results of your work.

Lack of accountability can impact other team members, resulting in missed deadlines and unfinished work. Working as a team should be part of everyday operation. Talk about it, share ideas, come to a common consensus about what accountability means, and use it as a foundation for everyone to work from.